Metamorphosis
by chibi-ruroun
Summary: Ryuusaki Sakuno have had enough...some Echizen bashing though i love the ochibi.....chap.2 up
1. Chapter 1

Title: Metamorphosis

By chibi-ruroun

Warning: …

Disclaimer: Echizen and Ryuusaki are both properties of Takeshi Konomi

First chapter redone because I didn't like the name Sakura but I had no time to go online to find another name. Sorry!

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**Chapter One: Decision Decisions**

Sakuno clenched her fists. Her head was bent and she was on the verge of breaking down. She kept hearing Ryoma-kun's voice in her head.

_Didn't I tell you not to interfere with my match? We're still playing here, so get off!_

His voice was harsh and bitter. It made her wince again.

'I know it's wrong to go on a court when the match isn't over. My brain tells me to stay off court, but my body won't listen…my heart won't hear…'

Sakuno bit the inside of her cheeks, unaware that they were beginning to bleed a little. Her fists were still clasped tightly together, her nails digging angrily at the softness of her palms.

"Why…" Images of Ryoma-kun flashed through her mind, from when he was smirking triumphantly after he won a match, to his confused countenance, then, finally, to his indifferent and almost cruel expression.

"Why do I care so much?" Sakuno's mind was in turmoil. A part of her wanted to slap Ryoma-kun or scream at him till he changed his apathetic visage. Another part of her knew that Ryoma-kun wasn't trying to be mean, that he was just stating the rule of tennis. 'Tennis,' she thought bitterly, albeit a bit enviously, 'With him, it's always about tennis…'

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

"Sakuno! Dinner's ready! Come on down before it gets cold!" Sumire Ryuusaki, Sakuno's grandma, called from downstairs in the kitchen. Sakuno snapped out of her trance.

"O-Ok, Obaa-san! I'll be down there right away!"

Sakuno went to the sink in the washroom and splashed water on her face so her grandma wouldn't know that she'd been crying. While she was drying off her face, Sakuno gazed upon her reflection within the mirror.

'I look so vulnerable…so weak…I've never realized that before…' Suddenly Sakuno's eyes hardened with determination. She had come to a decision. She would stop chasing Ryoma. She spoke quietly, but confidently, to her other half.

"Ryuusaki Sakuno no longer exists. As of now, I shall be called Ryuusaki Satomi."

Sumire looked at her granddaughter strangely when she walked ('Almost seemed like she was marching,' Sumire thought) into the kitchen.

"What took you so long, Sakuno?"

"Nothing. And, Obaa-san, I'm not called Sakuno anymore. It's Satomi."

"Oh really?" Sumire was amused, and slightly worried. Satomi nodded.

"Yep. I want to quit the tennis club and I'm changing my school ID before tomorrow, so can we go to the school after we have dinner. I think it's still opened then."

"Alright. But you have to tell me what brought this on?"

"…I…I…" Satomi faltered but stopped herself from turning back to Sakuno.

"I will not tell you what incident or incidents that led up to this, but I want to change me. Myself, as a person." Sumire looked a bit concerned.

"Are you sure you're going to do this?"

"Definitely." Satomi said with conviction.

"You sure you won't regret this?" Sumire couldn't help asking again.

"No regrets." Satomi's clipped tone said it all. Sumire sighed.

"Fine. We'll go."

Satomi smiled at her grandma and began to eat dinner.

The changing of the ID went smoothly and soon Satomi was back in her room and getting ready for bed.

'No more weakness, it's my turn to shine now.' Satomi thought to herself. 'I will not lower myself anymore to these petty crushes that wrought nothing but hurt and emptiness and pointlessness. I will take it no more. And I will be my own person and show how great Ryuusaki Satomi can be.'

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A/N: I like rebel Ryuusaki, and though I love Ryoma, he acted like an arrogant jerk a lot of times…so he needed some bashing. R/R, plz! 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Metamorphosis

By chibi-ruroun

Warning: …ooc-ness?

Disclaimer: I only own the plot of the story and the name 'Satomi'…

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Chapter Two: Best Friends 

The next day, Satomi woke up exceptionally early to take a long shower after giving herself a new haircut. 'I must say I have the talent for cutting my own hair!' Satomi gave herself a pat on the back. She looked in the mirror at her short hair that curved gently around her clean face. Satomi felt that she now seemed more self-confident and smiled.

"I like the new me." With that, she decided to plan out her day before going down for breakfast, since the time was still early. Satomi scanned her room and saw many pictures of Ryoma's tennis poses and the tennis club's group picture and frowned, her mouth curving slightly downward.

"Too much like my old self." She stepped forward to her wall and took down all of Ryoma's pictures, with the exception to the tennis club group picture.

"I'll leave only that one there." Nodding to herself, she stuffed all Ryoma's picture into an envelope and decided that she would give them all to her friend Tomoka.

"I'm sure Tomo-chan would be glad to have this."

After ripping out all the notebook pages that she'd scribbled Ryoma's name on, she threw them haphazardly into the recycling bin. She took her tennis racket and a can of tennis balls and stared at them for a moment before placing them in the very bottom of her drawer. Satomi glanced at her watch and saw that it was time for her to iron her uniform and pack up for school.

"Saku-I mean, Satomi! Breakfast!" Sumire called. Satomi grinned. 'Glad Obaa-san is taking her time to adjust my new name!'

"I'll be right down!" Satomi yelled back. Smoothing down her uniform and giving herself one last look in the full-body length mirror, she took her bags and proceeded downstairs, a big grin on her face.

Satomi was ready for anything.

-At Tomoka's house-

"Konnichiwa, Tomo-chan!"

"Konnichiwa, Sakuno!" Tomoka greeted her friend normally, not noticing her friend's new hairstyle and the strange air of confidence about her friend since her back was facing Satomi and she was busy locking up her front door. Tomoka continued to fumble the keys in her hands. Tomoka turned around helplessly.

"Argh! Damn keys! I can never tell which one is the right – Sakuno!" Tomoka's eyes were opened wide. Satomi almost snickered at her friend's expression.

"Yes, Tomoka?" Satomi feigned confusion.

"Y-Y-You…what the hell happened to your braids!" Satomi pretended to look hurt.

"You don't like it?" Tomoka sputtered.

"N-NO! It's not that I don't like it but…hey don't change the subject, Sakuno. Now tell me what's the deal with your new hairstyle!" Satomi appeared indignant.

"Tomo-chan! I can't believe you! Who gives you the right to order me about?" Tomoka quickly put up her hands in a placating manner, her mind was still reorganizing her thoughts. 'What happened?'

"Gomen, gomen, Sakuno. I didn't mean it that way…" Satomi shook her head.

"It's all right. Also, Tomo-chan, you can't call me Sakuno from now on…"

"Huh?" 'Oh my god, is Sakuno really mad at me or something?' Tomoka's frantic thoughts must have shown on her face, because Satomi chuckled.

"No, no I'm not mad at you. You can't call me Sakuno because my name is now Ryuusaki Satomi." Tomoka stared.

"Uh…you all right, Tomo-chan?"

"Sakuno-I mean, Satomi…Really, what happened?" Tomoka looked concerned, "Why did so much change overnight and…" Satomi cut her off and took Tomoka's keys, locking the door up for her.

"I'll tell you on the way to school…we'll be late if we stay here and chat!"

-Arrival at the gate of Seishun Gakuen Junior High-

"Oh…" was Tomoka's replied after Satomi's protracted explanation. She did not know what to say and how to respond to the new Sakuno. 'I mean, Satomi.'

"By the way, I'm not doing tennis anymore. Oh! I almost forgot! Here, take these pictures, I don't want them anymore. You can have them." Satomi said thrusting the white envelope into Tomoka's stilled hand.

"And Tomo-chan, stop acting as if it's the end of the world! I'm still your best friend no matter what!" Tomoka smiled weakly.

"Yeah…" Sakuno didn't seem to notice and exclaimed.

"We'll be late if we don't hurry!"

-After school at tennis practice-

"It's lonely without Saku-Satomi here…" Tomoka spoke to herself, not paying any attention to where she was hitting the tennis ball to the wall.

"Yo, Tomoka-chan!" Momoshiro Takeshi, a second year, walked from the water fountain to greet the girl. Tomoka offered a tiny smile.

"Hey, Momoshiro-senpai." Momoshiro frowned at the lack of enthusiasm that usually surrounded the girl.

"Something wrong?" Momoshiro asked, worried. Tomoka shook her head.

"No…just trying to adjust to the new Sakuno…ah- I mean, Satomi…"

"Hoi, hoi! What happened to Sakuno-chan? Where is she today? Shouldn't she be like watching O-chibi's practice match with Fuji and Kaidoh?" Kikumaru Eiji, a third year, popped out of nowhere and tried to latch onto Momoshiro's back. Tomoka gazed down at her hands sadly.

"Satomi-chan quit the tennis club. She told me this morning. I won't tell you the reason why, but you may try asking her." Eiji looked confused.

"…Satomi-chan? Nya?" Tomoka smiled at her senpai's cute voice.

"Sakuno changed her name. It's Satomi now."

"Oh, I see. I'll go tell the others! Nya Oishiiii!" Eiji quickly bounded back to the fukubuchou of Seigaku Tennis Club.

Momoshiro blinked.

"Maa…I guess I'm going back to practice before Buchou makes me run laps. Ja!" With a wave, Momoshiro left Tomoka.

Tomoka quietly observed the Seigaku regulars. Eiji-senpai was, with his hand waving and jumping around, telling Oishi-senpai the news while the fukubuchou nodded worriedly and stealing concerned glances in her direction. Momoshiro-senpai had engaged Kaidoh-senpai in a furious round of tennis game as Ryoma-sama had finished his practice match with Kaidoh-senpai and Fuji-senpai. Inui-senpai was shifting his weight on his feet while taking notes on Kaidoh-senpai's and Momoshiro-senpai's match. Ryoma-sama was walking towards the vending machine to get a Ponta to drink, while Tezuka-buchou and Fuji-senpai were talking amiably to each other.

Tomoka locked her gaze on Ryoma for a moment, then sighed.

"Ryoma-sama," she whispered, "You have no idea what you've done to Sakuno-chan…You're so careless with your blatant comments that you fail to realize you've seriously wounded her. And now, now the Sakuno I know is probably never coming back. Sakuno is no more…and it's entirely your fault."

A tear glided down Tomoka's cheek but Ryoma remained oblivious to his surroundings.

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A/N: a little too dramatic? I hope not. Oh well, plz R/R!  



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